This invention relates to methods for preparing purified, decolorized polydextrose and the use of this material in making edible foodstuffs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,165 describes the preparation of a polydextrose through the polymerization of glucose in the presence of food-acceptable polycarboxylic acid catalysts and polyols. This polydextrose is a non-nutritive carbohydrate substitute having wide application in the preparation of edible foodstuffs, as claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,794.
While the polydextrose of U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,165 is low in caloric content, the presence of low molecular weight components, such as glucose, sorbitol and oligomers, gives it a caloric value of about one calorie per gram. In instances where large amounts of polydextrose would be ingested it would be desirable to lower the caloric value even further.
In addition, the use of food-acceptable polycarboxylic acids as catalysts in the polymerization process in preparing polydextrose leads to pH's of about 2.5 when the polydextrose is dissolved in an aqueous media. The acid nature of such polydextrose precludes its use in many products which normally have a pH range of 5-8.
In addition to the presence of low molecular weight caloric materials and low pH of polydextrose prepared in U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,165, the product has a yellow color and possesses a slight bitter taste due to the presence of anhydroglucose. These drawbacks especially limit the use of polydextrose in products which are normally white in color and have no bitter taste.